This blog is about the Scorpio sign, the appearances of the Scorpio in art, in archaeology, and in fact in any interesting place. It is a gift to all those who were born between 24 October and 22 November. zeevveez and I run this blog.

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Sep 20, 2008

The Origin of the Zodiac

Donald A. Mackenzie claims in his book Myths of Babylonia And Assyria (1915, project Gutenberg, Chapter XIII- Astrology and Astronomy, Table XIII.1 that our signs are derived from ancient Babylonia:

Constellation Aries

Babylonian Equivalent: The Laborer or Messenger

Constellation Taurus

Babylonian Equivalent: A divine figure and the "bull of heaven"

Constellation Gemini

Babylonian Equivalent:

The Faithful Shepherd and Twins side by side, or head to head and feet to feet

Constellation Cancer

Babylonian Equivalent: Crab or Scorpion

Constellation Leo

Babylonian Equivalent: The big dog Lion

Constellation Virgo

Babylonian Equivalent: Ishtar, the Virgin's ear of corn

Constellation Libra

Babylonian Equivalent: The Balance

Constellation Scorpio

Babylonian Equivalent: Scorpion of darkness

Constellation Sagittarius

Babylonian Equivalent:

Man or man-horse with bow, or an arrow symbol

Constellation Capricorn

Babylonian Equivalent: Ea's goat-fish

Constellation Aquarius

Babylonian Equivalent: God with water urn

Constellation Pisces

Babylonian Equivalent: Fish tails in canal

In addition Donald A. Mackenzie wrote that according to the Babylonian Creation Legend (British Museum “The Seven Tablets Of Creation" from the Library of Ashur-bani-pal at Nineveh) Merodach fixed three stars for each month of the Zodiac… Mr. Brown, junior, calculated that the signs of the Zodiac were fixed in the year 2084 B.C.E (Primitive Constellations, 1899, vol. 2, pp. 147)